Themes
The themes for 2005 were:
- Our Future – Life long learning for all to achieve their full potential
- Our Streets – Clean, safe and well managed streets
- Our Council – An accessible council
Each theme was made up of a number of sub-themes which are important to local communities. See Excellence Wales Information Booklet 2005/2006 for a full description of sub-themes.
The Excellence Wales scheme will run for a further two years initially and future themes will include: Our Children, Our Health, Our Older People, Our Homes, Our Environment, Our Economy
The assessment process
In its first year, Excellence Wales received 33 applications from local authorities across Wales.
Local authorities submitted applications for Excellence Wales status and underwent a rigorous assessment process including site visits by members of an Independent Assessment Panel. The Assessment Panel of 5 people have a wide range of public and private sector knowledge and were able to explore the applications from different perspectives.
The assessment process considered a whole range of applications of good practice. Key criteria included:
- Did the application contribute towards achievements and national and corporate priorities?
- Did the application demonstrate its impact on the customer experience?
- Was there learning from others and influencing the service sector?
- Was there efficient and effective resource management?
- Was there sustainability in service and financial planning?
There are two levels of recognition within the Excellence Wales scheme: Highly Commended and Commended.
In terms of distinguishing between Highly Commended and Commended the assessors looked at:
- the scale of the application – was it sufficiently broad enough to impact on corporate priorities
- the length of time that service had been operating; and equally important
- the consistency of the criteria across the application.
What happens next?
The awards are an important part of the process and not the end of the process. What makes Excellence Wales so different to other award schemes is the emphasis is on the continued sharing of learning. Good practice will be showcased and shared at learning exchanges across Wales throughout May and June.
In addition, highly commended and commended successful local authorities will host ‘Open Days’ where they share their good practice in more detail and will organise other sharing activities such as information packs, peer support, site and study visits. This will encourage more collaborative working amongst local authorities to deliver more improved services to their communities.
For more information contact: Clover Rodrigues